I was reminded of Thomas Friedman's book, "The World Is Flat," earlier this month when attending Inc. magazine's GrowCo conference in Nashville. In his book, Friedman discusses decentralized, collaborative, bottom-up development, where all competitors have an equal opportunity. After hearing from speakers at GrowCo, I realized that technology really has created a level playing field for global entry, collaboration and competition in all industries.

Health care is migrating into the home — and the hospital of the future will have no address.

That’s according to former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who highlighted the steady march of health care into residential settings and away from traditional institutions last week during a Health Care Council of Chicago investment event.

Have you ever wondered how experiencing nature can improve your health and your life?

Increasingly, healthcare and public health professionals are recognizing that the social determinants of health—including where we’re born, live, work, play and age—collectively have a far greater impact on our health outcomes than the healthcare delivery system. It’s estimated that healthcare services account for just 10% of longevity, while social and environmental factors account for twice that at 20%, genetics 30%, and individual behaviors an estimated 40% (Schroeder, NEJM, 2007). Our surroundings and how they influence our choices form the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

For loved ones with advanced illness such as cancer or heart disease or with severe symptoms from a chronic illness, especially in the last year or so of life, what we desperately want is for them to seamlessly receive high quality, compassionate care at home that keeps them comfortable and free from pain and suffering.

Health is more than healthcare. Smart reform looks beyond the current conversation of repeal and replace. It must include an active and empowered consumer making choices that matter within a modern, connected, knowledge-driven system.

That is the powerful message of the National Academy of Medicine’s pivotal report released today. Drawing on the expertise of 150 health care policy experts, scientists, and researchers from across the country, the report was developed by a bipartisan steering committee that included former Governor and HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, former FDA Commissioner and CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, and me, among others. Its core goals are better health and wellbeing; high-value healthcare; and strong science & technology. The report outlines actionable policy recommendations to further these goals.

If you were asked to name the No. 1 cause of death in women in Davidson County, what would you say?

Some might suggest cancer, or perhaps Alzheimer’s. But the truth is that our number one “lady killer” is a condition that many consider a man’s disease. And what’s even more striking is that its early symptoms can go unnoticed for years.

Among global public health advocates, there is a growing concern that President Trump may cut back, or even eliminate, programs that have played a critical role in fighting diseases worldwide. While every administration should strongly review our nation’s overseas commitments, and there are undoubtedly programs that we should cut, I hope he recognizes the success and importance of one in particular: the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

I have been treating patients in Africa and Haiti for 20 years. When I was Senate majority leader in 2003, I led the Senate’s passage of the plan, called Pepfar, on an overwhelming voice vote. It has since been reauthorized twice. President Trump, like his predecessors, will have the chance to put his own stamp on this winning program.

No state is an island when it comes to our food and its impact — good or bad — on our population’s health.

In my home state of Tennessee, an estimated 39 percent of adults suffer from hypertension, ranking us seventh in the nation, according to the annual State of Obesity report released last fall by Trust for America’s Health, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

At the start of a new year, we often find ourselves making resolutions to eat healthier and get active (I know I'm one of those people!). But the good news is, America’s interest in healthier foods has become a year-round trend, not just a New Year’s fad.

More than 66% of shoppers say they want to make healthier choices while at the grocery store. Low-calorie options accounted for 82% of snack food sales growth in 2013. Restaurant chains that increased lower-calorie menu options reported increases in store sales, customer traffic, and servings sold.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NashvilleHealth – founded in 2015 by Former U.S. Majority Leader Bill Frist to harness the force of community-wide collaboration to improve Nashville’s health outcomes – has announced the appointment of its inaugural 17-member Governing Board.

“This announcement marks another exciting step in NashvilleHealth’s effort to address our community’s most pressing health issues. The caliber of these board members confirms the importance of NashvilleHealth’s charge and demonstrates the outstanding commitment of the city’s leaders to collaboration, innovation and the health of all Nashvillians,” said Sen. Frist.

Yesterday Americans woke up to news of a new president-elect: Donald J. Trump. The immediate question for those whose lives focus around lifting the health of individual Americans is, “What does this mean for health care in America?”

At the heart of the answer is uncertainty. Trump is an “unknown unknown” when it comes to deep, thoughtful health policy. He has excelled in many fields, but at best he personally has only dabbled in the field of health care, which accounts for a fifth of our overall economy and affects literally every American. So, to begin to answer the question, we can only start with what he has said on the campaign trail and the bare-boned, seven-point “plan” on his website and conjecture from there.